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"elastic band powered car" Topic


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Dewbakuk27 Jun 2004 4:23 p.m. PST

Hi

My wife is running a work team building exercise and they've decided that as one of the exercises, they will do egg box racers powered by elastic bands. Aparantly they found a website that gave the basics of making the engine. Unfortunately it didn't take it much further and they're out of time.

I've been looking and I've found sites that show elastic band powered cars but not eggbox ones. Anyone know how to make this work? The problem is they can't use tools, otherwise it would be easy, they have;

sticky tape
two thicknesses of dowel
wheels
cotton reels
straws
matchsticks
paper.

Hope someone out there is a science or tech teacher.

Cheers

RexMcL28 Jun 2004 2:58 a.m. PST

Could you just stick the parts from a standard car into the carton? Or you could cut a hole in the bottom of the carton and simply cover a regular car with it.

Scurvy28 Jun 2004 7:41 a.m. PST

Im sure the Italian airforce did some stuff with rubber band powered eggbox tanks in the late 30's and early 40's.

Scurvy28 Jun 2004 7:41 a.m. PST

gah sould of said italian army. gah and double gah

Neotacha28 Jun 2004 8:09 a.m. PST

No tools at all? Or can they use scissors or a hobby knife?

Neotacha28 Jun 2004 8:10 a.m. PST

Oh, and how many elastic bands? What size(s)?

Connard Sage28 Jun 2004 8:43 a.m. PST

Put an elastic band through the hole in the cotton reel, push a matchstick through one (open) end to secure it, push a piece of dowel through the other loop of elastic band at the other end of the cotton reel (make the dowel slightly longer than the diameter of the reel); wind up the elastic

That`s your motor

RockyRusso28 Jun 2004 9:46 a.m. PST

Hi

I fly rubber powered airplanes in competition......

The biggest problem with rubber is that it abrades against itself. Thus you need a lube for the rubber itself. If you drywind it, you only get 10% of the potential power.

If you are allowed, spray it with "Son of a Gun" vinal protectant. If not allowed, just before use, use your salivia to thoroughly wet the rubber.

Rocky
Waiting for the cheap, obvious Trojan refrences.

Dewbakuk28 Jun 2004 1:10 p.m. PST

Thanks guys.

Kawasaki, that's the method she had. Makes a good propelor but not much use at turning a wheel unless you want it to revolve around the box :)

It happened today so is over now, but I'm still interested.

GildasFacit Sponsoring Member of TMP28 Jun 2004 1:42 p.m. PST

Fix the cotton reel and let the dowel (which is fixed to the wheels) rotate.

Tony H

Scurvy29 Jun 2004 5:03 a.m. PST

Help me out here Rocky. Trojan references went over my scone like a jet plane.

Goldwyrm29 Jun 2004 5:27 a.m. PST

@Scurvy- Rubber has regional connotations. Rocky was expecting Prophylactic jokes. Trojans is a brand of said product in lubricated and non-lubricated versions. I guess that slipped by you..

Dewbakuk29 Jun 2004 7:20 a.m. PST

To put it simply, Trojan is the brand name for a type of Condom in the US. I only know this because they have just started marketing in the UK. The adverts are..... different, and only shown at night.

@GildasFacit - For it to work the dowel is horizontal across the cotton reel. Which means it spins like a propelor as opposed to rotating like an axle.

GildasFacit Sponsoring Member of TMP29 Jun 2004 11:25 a.m. PST

Fix cotton reel to chassis

put dowel through hole in cotton reel

fix one end of elastic/ rubber to cotton reel with a staple, same with other end to dowel

Fit wheel at each end of dowel

Wind up wheels and let go

It works !!

It's a damn sight easier if you can draw pictures !!!

Tony H

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